In urban and suburban streets pedestrian traffic as well as automobile traffic makes use of intersections. As pedestrians travel from one location to another, they are inevitably faced with walking across a street. At many traffic intersections which are provided with traffic lights, there is located a pedestrian operated push button switch on the traffic signal pole by means of which a pedestrian can activate the pedestrian crosswalk system to allow the pedestrian to walk safely across the street. However, in certain traffic intersections there is no provision of pedestrian operated push button switch on the traffic signal pole because the walk signal comes all the times whether there is a call or not at a definite interval. In the current situation, where pedestrian operated push button switch on the traffic signal pole exists, a pedestrian desiring to traverse the street, presses a push button on the traffic signal pole and the traffic controller registers the pedestrian call. At defined time in the traffic signal cycle, the traffic controller checks if there is a registered pedestrian call, if there is one, the cross-walk lighting is activated for certain time in the traffic signal cycle providing sufficient period of time to allow persons to cross. However, in the existing systems a pedestrian needs to walk to the traffic signal pole in order to press the push button. If this action happened just after the traffic controller checked for register pedestrian call, it will be too late for the current cycle and the pedestrian will have to wait for the next cycle to cross. Hence, in this process of walking to the traffic signal pole to press the pedestrian push button a pedestrian may miss a cycle and then he/she has to wait for the next cycle to cross the road.
In the present situation, when bicyclists want to cross a street, they need to get down from the bicycle and go to the traffic signal pole in order to press the pole push button. While doing this, a bicyclist might miss a crosswalk traffic controller check for call in the signal cycle and as a result have to wait for the next signal cycle in order to cross the street. This results in wastage of time in addition to the inconvenience to put down the bicycle to get to the traffic pole in order to push the button.
There have been few aids developed to indicate a visually impaired person when the way is clear to cross streets. In some cases, pedestrian signal lights at pedestrian crossings are combined with a sound signal which can indicate to a blind person when the way is clear to cross. Such systems, however, require manual triggering of the push button on the traffic signal pole for which a visually impaired person will have to go to the traffic signal pole. In case of wheelchair bound people also similar difficulty arises. In some case there isn't physical room available for wheelchair to park safely next to the pole to push the pedestrian button.
Thus, there is a need for a system which enables a person to register a request for activation of the crosswalk signal system from a distance without going near the traffic signal pole where the pedestrian push button is located.
A prior art search revealed that there are lots of systems and devices related to crosswalk signal systems and prior attempts to provide a suitable street crossing aid for the visually impaired and hearing impaired have been made but none reveals a device which aids in wireless triggering of the pole pedestrian bush button.
Consequently, there exists in the art a long-felt need for a wireless push button device for pedestrian crosswalk signal system for general pedestrians, cyclists, visually impaired pedestrians, hearing impaired pedestrians and also for wheelchair bound persons which provides users the control to register a request for activation of the pedestrian crosswalk signal system from a safe distance with the help of a remote control device without going to the traffic signal pole for manually pressing the pedestrian push button. There also exists in the art a long-felt need for a wireless push button device for pedestrian crosswalk signal system for general pedestrians, cyclists, visually impaired pedestrians, hearing impaired pedestrians and also for wheelchair bound persons which can be readily adapted to the existing traffic signal control systems. There also exists in the art a long-felt need for a wireless push button device for pedestrian crosswalk signal system for general pedestrians, cyclists, visually impaired pedestrians, hearing impaired pedestrians and also for wheelchair bound persons which can provide a visual, audible and/or tactile signal which will indicate when the request for activation of the desired crosswalk signal system gets registered and also when it is safe to cross, i.e., when the walk interval occurs. Additionally, there also exists in the art a long-felt need for a wireless push button device for pedestrian crosswalk signal system for visually impaired pedestrians where there is no provision of pedestrian push button which gives audible and tactile confirmation as to when it is safe to cross the street, i.e., when the walk interval occurs. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for a wireless push button device for pedestrian crosswalk signal system for general pedestrians, cyclists, visually impaired pedestrians, hearing impaired pedestrians and also for wheelchair bound persons that accomplishes all of the forgoing objectives and that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, install, safe and easy to use and is extremely useful to be included in the traffic signal systems at major intersections in urban and suburban streets.